Why is New Orleans called The Big Easy?
The term “Big Easy” is believed to come from a dance hall by that name which existed in the early 1900s. Some say that it might have been the dance hall, an actual dance, or possibly even a person who could do the dance. At the turn of the century, jazz musicians were fond of nicknames, and might have used the “Big Easy” for an Uptown dance hall. Eventually the nickname transferred to the city as a whole, referring to the gentle pace of life and somewhat lax morals for which New Orleans is known.
